You may be waiting with bated breath for Microsoft to hurry up and release Windows 8PCs and tablets to the masses, but before they get here, there might a twist to the way you tweak'em. Tobii Technology intends to demo its new mouse-free interface at CES this month -- dubbed Tobii Gaze -- that it hopes'll revolutionize the way we interact with devices. The gesture-based system incorporates eye-tracking to direct an on-screen pointer and works in conjunction with touch pad input for "fine-tuning." The company's hoping this new interface'll help you toss out that antiquated clicker and embrace the world of Minority Report. Hey, it's inevitable and you know it.

Tobii Technology will introduce and demonstrate its Tobii Gaze™ interface for Windows 8 for the first time at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 10-13. Tobii Gaze is a technology that makes it possible to point and interact in ways that are superior to both touch and mouse. It has the potential to change the user interface for regular computers as fundamentally as touch has for handheld devices.

With its large tiles, Windows 8 Metro has been praised as a great interface for handheld touch devices. However, using your hands on a touch screen-enabled laptop or desktop computer is not an ideal ergonomic solution, and your hands would also interfere with the objects you would like to click on, drag, rotate or zoom.

The Tobii Gaze interface uses a combination of eye gaze and touch pad to enable all seven primary touch commands of Windows 8 (e.g., activate, select, zoom, scroll, etc.) in a way that is more natural, efficient and precise than any other control when used on laptops and desktops.

"Pointing at something by looking at it is intuitive, natural and immediate. Using a mouse to do the same thing is less so, as it involves an intermediate step of moving a mouse-pointer around," says Henrik Eskilsson, CEO and co-founder, Tobii Technology. "Gaze is as natural and intuitive as touch, as precise as the mouse and more ergonomic and effortless than both. Once you have experienced Gaze, a laptop without it feels just as ancient as a laptop without a touch pad."

The Tobii Gaze interface utilizes eye tracking technology for pointing and the touch pad for giving commands and fine-tuning when necessary. This makes Gaze the ideal way to point on the Windows 8 start screen as well as in environments that require high precision.

"Laptops and tablets today are designed to feel natural either for touch or for the mouse pointer, never both. Gaze technology enables you to point in a consistent way that feels natural on all devices," said Anders Olsson, Business Development Manager, Tobii Technology.
Demo of the Tobii Gaze Interface

The Tobii Gaze interface for Windows 8 Metro will be shown at the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas, January 10-13, with a Media preview at the CES Unveiled on January 8.